Chapter 84 Battle to the death (1/2)
Chapter 84 Battle to the death
Translator: Tchu
Editor: Amaranth, iballisticbunny
Not seeing the need for any skirmishes, the Odin army immediately launched an all out attack with their first wave!
With a loud horn sound, one wave after another, each wave filled with Odin warriors holding axes, broadswords and shields of different colors, started to sweep towards them while roaring vigorously. ~~~ seeing this dense and boundless mass of soldiers surging up like a tsunami sent shivers down the spines of the Byzantine Soldiers!
While tightly gripping his axe, Shaar could hear his heart’s heavy beating very clearly, even in this noisy chaos. Right now, the garrison officer Slate who was standing next to him started to shout various commands with a loud and vigorous voice.
“Prepare! Archers take aims! Men take up your arms! Don’t panic! Stay firm! Maintain the formation!!”
Shaar who didn’t have any experience in commanding could only leave this matter to Slate. This ordinary garrison officer did amazingly well and, although his face was red from the anxiousness, his voice was strong while maintaining his calm state of mind!
The feet of countless men started trampling the earth and created a huge dust cloud then the dense crowd quickly got into the firing range……
“Fire!!!!!”
With a mighty roar, Slate ordered the three ballistas to unleash a dozen death bringing bolts! Each metal bolt had the thickness of an adult’s arm and was howling through the wind, cutting across the sky. Very soon, dozens of bolts created a parabolic umbrella that suddenly covered the Odins’ heads.
Sounds of flesh and bones being penetrated as well as horrible screams could be heard everywhere around the battlefield, as death rained upon them. Crimson colours were splashing all around as shouts of agony from wounded soldiers were echoing throughout the battlefield. The bolts shot out from these ballistas were ten times stronger than ordinary arrows. If a single bolt hit it’s target, it would easily penetrate the human body as if was made of paper! Some bolts even penetrated three or five people in a row without a hint of stopping!!
The archers standing at the wall also received their orders as several hundred arrows took advantage of the strong wind and decimated the group of Odins who were running at the front of their first volley!
However, even among the screams and pitiful whining of their brethrens, the Odins didn’t slow their pace at all and continued to shout viciously as they fanatically stormed onwards!
Very soon, the first wave of the Odin army arrived under the stronghold’s wall and used their bodies to smash against it. Although the stronghold wall was reinforced by the stones that the logistic battalion went to pick up, and it was also supported with the wood planks from disassembled horse-carriages and the first impact still fiercely shook the stronghold’s wall. Despite standing behind the wall, the Byzantine soldiers’ hearts started to jump fiercely as they saw the only protection they had between them and the maddening Odin’s was shaking. Immediately, under officers’ commands, a row of spears shot out from the slits between the walls, piercing the Odins like meat skewers. With a stream of simple thrusts, hundred Odin soldiers were stabbed to death! However, as more Odin soldiers died, their brothers got even more aggressive. Grabbing the spears which had pierced their bodies, the wounded Odins forcefully pulled away the spears from the grips of those behind the wall!
During the chaos, several hundred sturdy Odin soldiers formed ten teams and started to run through the middle of the formation. In order to increase their running speed as much as possible, they weren’t wearing any metal armor or carrying any weapons and they simply rushed forwards with their bare upper bodies. Each team had over a dozen men and each man was carrying a wooden ladder made from trees that they cut during their journey. With a terrifying roar, they frantically rushed towards the stockade wall! Hidden within the crowd of Odin soldiers, who were risking their lives to cover them with their shields, the majority of them managed to arrive underneath the wall. One after another, the ladders were quickly being set up next to each other as the Odins beneath the wall increased the intensity of their frantic screaming. After just a few moments, more and more ladders appeared against the wall.
Spears were repeatedly shooting out from the inner side of the wall, stabbing the Odins who were holding the ladders, forcing them down. As if they were touched by insanity, the Odins started to use their bodies to shield the ladders, welcoming the spears while their brethrens re-erected the ladders. They continued their offensive without any care for their lives.
Crimson!
The whole battlefield turned crimson! Before the stronghold’s wall there were layers upon layers of corpses laid, their blood turning the whole ground into a dirty crimson mud. The Byzantine soldiers standing on the wall maliciously continued to thrust and chop down without any break, but they still couldn’t resist the Odin soldiers’ suicidal attacks. There were some Odin soldiers who would climb the walls to simply stretch out their arms and jump into the Byzantine soldiers’ swords. Using their body, they would be able to buy more time for their companions to get a foothold on the wall.
There were even some Odin soldiers who would give up on the ladder and lean against the wall in order to create a human ladder. They would let their companions step on their shoulders, despite getting stabbed through their chest from the gaps on the wall! Some Odin soldiers would get close to the wall and maliciously stab through gaps and were trading, a life for life…..
The wall was too fragile and its height was just 2 meters long because of that it was very difficult for it to play a real defensive role during this battle.
The archers already began to spread out from the front as they stood behind the wall, killing the Odins at will. With a pair of crimson eyes, Shaar held an axe in his hand as he led a dozen of the strongest soldiers in running back and forth near the wall. Whenever the Odins broke through, he would be the first one to rush there and throw himself into the fray. Reflecting the cold brightness of his war axe with every swing, he was cutting all the enemies into pieces!